Mark and Deborah Bradley, of Hodgins Road, Blyth, made the gruesome discovery on Monday morning when they woke to find their back yard had been raided.

Two children's bikes had been stolen, though these were later recovered, and their pedigree rabbit, Flopsy, had been fatally injured.

Cruel thieves had deliberately smashed its head several times off a wall or the ground and then left it dumped in the back alleyway.

Deborah said: "It's so cruel, Why did they do that? It's not like the rabbit could say who the burglar was.

"The kids are devastated.

"Their bikes can be replaced but the rabbit can't."

But the nightmare continues for the couple and their four children.

Deborah added: "I have hardly slept, I keep listening out for the burglars and I'm worried that this could happen to someone else's pet.

"We have a dog called Sabre who used to lie in the hutch with Flopsy. She's moping about because she senses something is wrong.

"We also have a guinea pig that sleeps inside. You just never know what could have happened if it was in the hutch as well."

The family are now going to install a burglar light and CCTV to protect their property and pets in the future.

Deborah said: "We have had Flopsy around a year, and my brother had it for three or four years before that, we have thought about replacing it but we are just too frightened that this could happen again.

"Whoever did this is cruel and nasty."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We completely condemn this type of senseless and awful cruelty.

"It is dreadful and we would urge anyone with information to contact the police or ourselves on 0870 55 55 999."